Pens pound Bulldogs

WILKES-BARRE TWP. -Andrew Ebbett is from Vernon, British Columbia and went to college in Ann Arbor, Mich., neither of which could be considered a surfing hot spot, but he knows something about riding a wave all the same.

Ebbett's goal on a shorthanded penalty shot in the first period Friday night got momentum going in the favor of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who cruised past the Hamilton Bulldogs, 5-1, at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Rookie Anton Zlobin added two goals and an assist.

"I think we've been doing that a lot the last couple weeks," Ebbett said. "When we catch that momentum, you try to catch that wave and ride it as long as you can."

The suddenly streaking Penguins have won three in a row and have recorded at least one point in eight of their last nine games (5-1-3). They'll wake up on the morning of March 15 all alone in first place in the East Division, one point ahead of the Binghamton Senators and two up on the Norfolk Admirals.

"We just got timely scoring. The puck found the back of the net at the right time," goalie Peter Mannino said. "D cleared some important rebounds at important times."

The Penguins came out playing a physical style, and it paid off, even after defenseman Reid McNeill was called for cross-checking at the 10:53 mark.

Midway into Hamilton's power play, Ebbett stole a puck, took off on a breakaway and was tripped by Gabriel Dumont. Ebbett converted the penalty shot, slipping a backhand past goalie Devan Dubnyk at 11:45.

About two minutes later, Mannino made a key stop on a shorthanded break by Maxime Macenaeur. A minute after that, Zlobin took a pass in the high slot on the power play and scored with 5:08 left in the period to make it 2-0.

"Anytime you can get a shorthanded goal, it's a good momentum builder and it kind of frustrates their top guys who were out on the ice," Ebbett said. "Once we got that goal, I think we got a little better, a little better each shift after that."

After Hamilton's Michael Blunden cashed in a rebound to make it 2-1 late in the first period, the Penguins blew the game open with two goals in a span of 23 seconds in the second.

With 5:07 left, Chuck Kobasew took a shot from the left-wing corner then followed his own rebound and scored to make it 3-1.

It was Kobasew's first AHL game since 2005. He had gone 30 games without a point in Pittsburgh before being sent down last week.

Then with 4:44 to go, Brian Dumoulin beat Dubnyk with a shot from the right circle past a Dominik Uher screen to make it 4-1. The goal chased Dubnyk, who stopped 10-of-14 shots.

At the other end of the ice, Mannino was outstanding again, making 26 saves. He has allowed two goals or fewer in all five appearances since being called up from the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers on Feb. 28.

"I don't know. I'm just playing," Mannino said. "We have a good system here. Goalies can be successful. You just want to play your game, keep it simple, keep the rebounds tight, talk to the guys."

Zlobin capped off the scoring midway through the third period, beating defenseman Greg Pateryn up the right wing and recording his first two-goal game as a pro.

"That's back-to-back games now that not only has he played well, but you can see he feels more comfortable," coach John Hynes said. "He's a goal scorer and now he's getting his opportunity to play. He's earned it."

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